Hero Electric Optima HX With Cruise Control Launched

It’s priced at Rs 55,580 (ex-showroom, including FAME II subsidy)

• Apart from the cruise control feature, the rest of the scooter’s features and mechanicals remain unchanged.
• Offers a claimed range of 82km.
• Takes four to five hours to charge completely.

Hero Electric has updated its popular scooter, the Hero Electric Optima HX, with cruise control. The updated electric scooter retails the same as before, at Rs 55,580 (ex-showroom Delhi, including FAME II subsidies). That said, the company’s website says the online bookings are on hold till January 5, 2022 due to large demand. So if you’re planning to buy one online, you may have to wait a little. We’d also advise you to head to the nearest authorised Hero Electric dealership to check the e-scooter’s availability.

The updated Optima gets a dedicated button using which the cruise control can be activated, allowing the electric scooter to maintain a constant speed. The instrument cluster has been updated to include a cruise control indicator. The feature can be turned off either by braking or twisting the throttle. Apart from this, the rest of the e-scooter’s features remain unchanged. It gets an LED headlight, a digital instrument cluster, a USB charging port, apron-mounted storage compartment, and a small underseat storage space.

The electric scooter gets a removable 51.2V, 30Ah lithium-ion battery pack offering a claimed range of 82km, and takes about five  hours to charge completely. The 550W Brushless DC motor offers a claimed top speed of 42kmph. There’s also a variant with dual-battery pack that retails at Rs 65,640 (ex-showroom Delhi, including FAME II subsidy), and offering a claimed range of 122km. 

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The Hero Electric Optima HX rides on 12-inch alloys linked to a telescopic front fork and twin rear shock absorbers, and gets drum brakes at both ends with regenerative braking. 

While the cruise control is a welcome addition, its performance isn’t on par with its rival, the Bounce Infinity E1, which is priced from Rs 45,099 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the variant with battery pack available via subscription. Other alternatives include the BGauss A2 and Ampere Magnus.